In the prior art, it has been difficult for the consumer to find an easy, safe and convenient-to-use package to transport and dispense food, medicine or other needed substances. For instance, a glass jar, historically the most typical baby food package, is breakable. Additionally, once the safety seal is broken, transporting leftovers can potentially lead to leaks. Plastic containers are easier to transport, however they are typically bulky. Plastic containers and their lids, caps or covers, are not as secure when refastened, again potentially leading to leaks.
More recently, a pouch structure was introduced to the market. This package was more convenient than glass and existing plastic containers, as it is made of foil. This container design has a plastic screw top which is deemed more efficient or effective for say carrying leftovers.
Particularly during travel, a consumer may find his or herself with no feeding implement, such as a spoon, leaving no way to easily feed their baby. In the case of the above-mentioned pouch, the arrangement typically is provided with a straw for dispensing, so in these situations one could squeeze the food into the baby's mouth via the straw by squeezing the pouch. However, under these circumstances, it is difficult to measure the amount dispensed. And, with no utensil, this process is usually messy for both baby and user. The pouch's foil package also typically has sharp protruding edges, making it uncomfortable to squeeze, and potentially hazardous for other apparent reasons. Lastly, it also has a separate cap that poses a potential choking hazard to the baby.
Further examples of arrangements with separate/detachable pieces may be seen in the following references. Mehta et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,399,079, teaches a separate cap screwed onto a package/container, with a separate spoon that is intended to screw onto the package once a cap is removed. This requires the consumer to carry both pieces and undertake to perform the above attachment prior to intended use. The spoon does not serve as a cap or vice versa. Moreover, the pieces are deemed not to be sized to be choke resistant, and thus when one is not in use, there is posed a choking hazard. Chmela et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,084, teaches a largely unitary container prior to use. However the feeding implement/spoon is detached once the container is opened for its intended use. The spoon is also not used as a cap or to reseal or refasten to the container, but is simply stored within the lid until its intended use, at which time it is separated and removed. The same is deemed true of Vaupotic, U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,645 B1.
Braxton et al Patent Application Publication U.S. 2010/0147885 A1, on the other hand appears to suggest a package where a fitment or feeding instrument is indicated to be substantially permanently affixed to the package. However, as described, this arrangement is manufactured with multiple separate pieces, and does not appear to be practical for unitary construction. Furthermore, Braxton appears to teach construction with a separate detachable cap, posing a potential choking hazard. Moreover, the feeding Instrument portion does not appear to dually serve as a secure cap or cover.
The prior art has also presented issues with respect to storing packages/containers safely and in an orderly manner. Because they are breakable, it is a hazard to stack glass jars, as they may fall. This leads to waste in valuable shelf space in supermarkets. Pouches such as that described hereinabove are difficult to store, as they are not easily stackable, which leads to disorganized pantry and supermarket shelves. These conditions make difficult the selection of the package based on a particular desired content.
In general, plastic containers exist which were designed to facilitate stacking neatly and with regard to organized storage, but they customarily do not combine such advantages with the attributes of a fully self-contained, unitarily constructed, readily transportable and safe arrangement that provides its own non-detachable implement for roughly measured dispensing/feeding, whereby the feeding implement serves dually as the cap or cover of the container, particularly under potentially repeated usage.
Other related arrangements and concepts known to the art may be found in Diot et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,221; DaCosta U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,974; Read U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,222; Smith U.S. Pat. No. 3,116,152; Thomson U.S. Pat. Appl. Publ. US 2008/0112750 A1; Wydler et al U.S. Pat. Appl. Publ. U.S. 2007/0164045 A1; Barger U.S. Pat. No. 6,295,735 B1; Mackles et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,615; Komendowski U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,282; Tenenouser U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,099; Grimsley U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,018; and Phillipson U.S. Pat. No. 1,784,880, but these teachings, individually or cumulatively, are not deemed to bring the reader closer to the present invention than the prior art particularized above.